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Annabeth used to think she wanted glory.
It was the currency of their world, after all. Luke had taught her that no one would mess with her if she achieved it. Her mother expected it from her like a birthright. Her father had never treasured anything but perfection.
And then she met Percy, who brushed past glory like it was an inconvenience just so he could reach for the people he loved. Percy, who was loyal to a fault and incapable of leaving anyone behind.
Percy, who would burn Olympus down for her. Percy, who was stabbed by her brother and didn’t want to tell her so her feelings wouldn’t be hurt. Percy, who sacrificed the mission and the Fleece to save her.
The idea she mattered so deeply was absurd enough that Annabeth’s mind could only conceive it because she had lived through it all.
And that was why she had a choice to make now.
She could forgo glory and risk the course of the Great Prophecy by allowing Percy to keep sacrificing everything for her. Or she could embrace it as the old friend it was and protect him by stepping away forever.
She looked at the Hunters’ pamphlet right in front of her. Tapping her fingers against the wood of her desk, staring at the paper that could define the fate not only of her life, but also of the world.
It was easy to imagine a life where the weight of the future didn’t lie on her shoulders. An universe where she could allow Percy to teach her how to reach for love as easily as he did. A future where she was open and free.
Except that future might result in Percy’s death and humanity's destruction.
No matter how she framed it, that was the truth. No amount of thinking or planning could ever change who Percy was and the choice he was bound to make.
Annabeth needed him to succeed. It was an irrational hope—an unusual indulgence she wouldn’t allow herself under normal circumstances, but Percy would always be an exception to most of her rules. She needed him to make the right choice and to have a slim chance at survival, despite the odds stacked against him.
She picked the pamphlet back up.
Glory smirked at her, ready to welcome her back with open arms.